The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-22
DESTROYING A RAILROAD.
The Efiectuar and Expeditions Method
Carried out By >herman's Army.

Carried out by >herman's Army.
\ knowledge of The art 0f building
railuadsis certainly of more value to 70
country than that of the best means of
/ destroying them; but at this particular
/ time the destruction seemed necessary
/ and the time may again come when such
/ work will be necessary Lest the most
effectual and expeditions method of de-
stroyiug railroad tracks should become
. one of he lost arts, viii here give few
rules for the guidance of officers who may
| in future be charged with This important
| duty II should Dee remembered that
/ these rules are the result of long expert
ence and close observation A detail of
men 10 do the work should Dee made on
the evening before operations are Co com
mence. The number tO bee detailed being.
Of course, dependent upon the amount of
work 20 be done. / estimate that 1000
men can easily destroy about five miles of
! track per day, and d0 DO thoroughly
Before going ont iu the morning the
men should besupplied with good break
I fast. FORT has been discovered that soldier,
are more efficient at this work. as wen as
on the battlefield. when their stomachs are
full than when they are empty The Ques
lion as 20 the food to be gvau the men for
breakfast i- not important but / suggest
roast turkeys chickcn, fresh eggs and
coffee, for The reason chat Don am enemy's
country such "a breakfast viii cause 300
unpleasantness between The cOmmissary
and the soldier, inasmuch as the commits
sary will only be- required 90 provide the
coffee. To fact 10 has been discovered that
an army moving through "a hostile but
fertile country having an efficient corps OF
fOrager~ .fugarly known in our army as
bummers, requires bat few articles 0f
food, such as hardtack. coffee, salt. pepper
and sugar
Your detail should bee divided into three
section, OF about equal numbers ! WI'l
suppose the detail to consist Of 5000 men
The first thing 10 De done is tO reverse the
relative positions OF the ties and iron rails
placing the ties mp and the rails under
them. To dO this. Section 80. ]. consist
ing of 1000 men, is distributed along one
side OF rhe track. one man at the end of
each tie. 40 given signal each man
seizes "a tie. lifts 10 gently TN 10 assumes q
vertical position, and then at another sig
nal pushes 10 forward So that when 10
falls the tie. viii Doe over the rails Then
each man loosens his tie from the rail
This done Section NO moves forward t0
another portion of the road. and Section
No. , advances and is distributed along
the portion OF the road recently occupied
boy Section no J The duty of the second
section is 90 collect the ties. place them
in piles of about thirty ties each-place
the rails on top of these piles, the center
OF each rail being over the center OF the /
pile, and then seq fire 90 the ties Section I
No. then follows so. l.
As soon rs the rails are sufficiently /
heated. Section 40 takes the place OF /
No ,, and upon this deyolyes the most /
important duty VIZ, the eifectual de-. /
struction Of the rail This section should /
be- in command of Am efficient officer, who /
will see that the work is not sighted |
Unless closely watched. soldiers will con /
tent themselves with bending the rails /
around trees This should never bee per- /
mtted. A ran which IS simply bent can |
easily be restored t0 its original shape /
No rail should be regarded as properly /
treated til il has assumed the shals of |
10 must not only bee bent, but /
twisted TO do the twisting P0c's rail /
road hook, are necessary. for 10 has been /
found that the soldiers viii not seize the
hot iron bare handed This, however. :
the only thing looking toward the de-
struction of property which ever knew
man In Sherman army to decline doing /
With Poe $ hooks a double twist can De- /
given 10 70 rail which precludes all hope of /
restoring it Goo lbs former shape except by /
recasting Gen n W. Slocum I'M The /
Century